UK Post Study Work Visa: What is Post Study Work Visa in UK?

Students often want to explore job opportunities in the same country while pursuing an academic program in one of the top study destinations, such as study in UK. Since the country of English offers can take advantage of international exposure, your chances for career growth are manifold. In addition, if you plan to settle in a country, you must apply for a UK work permit in order to carry out a range of application procedures.

In recent years, the UK which is known to be one of the top three most sought-after countries for overseas education has taken numerous steps to help foreign students from diverse backgrounds remain in the country for job opportunities after their academic studies have been successfully completed. Therefore, we will present to you in this blog all the necessary details of the recent UK Post Study Work Visa policies and how you can apply for them after finishing your degree in the country.

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UK Post Study Work Visa: The New ‘Graduate’ Route

The Post Study Work Visa (PSWV) is a temporary visa that allows the golden opportunity for international students to live, study and take up a job. In any chosen post or career path after they complete their education. This UK Post Study Work Visa route is open to everybody including the students of Indian origin having an immigration status in the UK. The Graduate Route is eligible for all those students who are enrolled at an institution approved by UK Higher Education Provider. This action is taken in response to the fact that the UK wants to retain the brightest students around the world and help them discover career opportunities in the country.

With this announcement, new fast-track Visa routes are being created to especially retain the science scholars staying in the country to pursue research. Hence, the removal limit that used to be there for students following a PhD degree, is being moved into the Skilled Worker Visa Route.

This step by the UK government to modify the UK work permit is taken with the aim that in order to make help the UK emerge as a renowned hub in the field of science and technology they can only be successful by promoting the STEM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

This is because, as per the website of the Government of UK website, approximately half of the students from Indian origin heading to the UK in the last ten years which is around 1,30,000 since 2008/09 have chosen a course from a STEM field.

The recent numbers, the number of students enrolling from India has multiplied significantly in the past three years reaching the height of 22,000 in June 2019. Hence, this was a monumental increase of 42% from the estimates of the previous year and a nearly 100% increase over the last three years. 

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Post Study Work Visa UK Eligibility

Earlier, candidates having a masters or a bachelors degree can only stay in the UK for a maximum of 4 months to look and search for a job. After the implementation of new rules by the Government of the UK, international students are now being allowed to stay in the UK for a maximum of 2 years. The UK government and administration want skilled manpower that can grow and make its STEM-related fields in their country (UK). Those who have enrolled themselves from the year 2020/21 can now stay up to two years before they are required to upgrade or change their visa or else leave the country. 

United Kingdom clarifies UK Post Study Work Visa eligibility after confusion. Any overseas student with a Tier-4 Visa who is enrolled in an approved UK higher education programme beginning in September 2020 is eligible for a stay-back term following graduation on a Post Study Work Visa UK. Having said that, international students are required to find a suitable job with a minimum salary of around £20,800 (INR 21 lakhs approx.) for a Tier 2 Visa license. Also, those who are pursuing their PhD in the UK are further allowed to stay up to 12 months or 1 year after the degree completion.

These new rules came into effect in September 2020. These new rules have allowed post-study visa holder students to search and work in any job until they find work to move towards a general work visa after the first year of their graduation.

How to Apply for a Visa for Different Countries?

UK Post Study Work Visa Basic Requirements 

In order to apply for a Graduate Visa to continue your study in abroad for two more years after completing your education, you need to fulfil certain pre-requisites of the post study work visa UK which are as follows: 

• You must be a degree holder from a recognised institution of higher education, be it a diploma or an undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degree.
• You must be financially independent and not in need of any monetary aid. 
• The application for the visa must be submitted within the 12 months finishing of the program. 
• You ought to look for employment opportunities in the 12-month period. 
• Those of you who would not have completed their degree in the English language would be required to take up IELTS. In which you need to score within the band of 6.5 in each of the four components in the examination. 
• You would need to have a source of adequate funding mentioned by the Government of UK. 

Must read: What are the Requirements for Studying in UK?

When to Apply

The application has to be sent before the Tier 4/student visa (general) expiry date. Moreover, to apply the university/college must have informed the home office that the applicant has completed the course. There is no requirement to wait till the certification has been issued. However, the student must provide the necessary documents and prove their identity to obtain the visa. The visa processing would take approximately 8 weeks.

Documentation Required 

Students have to provide several documents to obtain the visa. These documents are as follows:

• The applicant must present a valid passport/travel document that proves the nationality and identity
• Present the  BRP or the biometric residence permit given at the time of student visa (if applicable)
• Give the CAS or the confirmation of acceptance reference number provided to you at the time of the general student visa application.

Additional Documentation Required 

Some of the additional documentation needed for a post-study work visa are as follows :

• If a dependent is applying with the applicant- Proof of relationship with the spouse or children needs to be presented 
• In case of sponsorship/scholarship- A letter approving the application is needed. That ism only if they have paid for the tuition fees and the living expenses within the last 12 months.

Post-Study Work Visa for Indian Interview Questions

After completing the online application form and submitting the relevant documents. UK Visa applicants must pay the corresponding visa fee in order to book an interview with the UK Embassy/Consulate. The Visa interview is the final stage of the application procedure that decides, whether or not an applicant is eligible for the visa. The UK Visa interview allows the Officer to examine the application while confirming the documents/details given by the applicant. If you’ve already arranged your appointment, you’ll know where you need to be and when you need to be there for the visa interview.

Note: To be eligible for a UK Student Visa or the UK Post Study Visa, applicants must submit a completed application form, all required papers, pay the Visa fee, and attend the Visa interview. The Visa interview is the final step in determining whether an applicant is eligible for the same.

Mentioned below are some of the most frequently asked UK Student Visa interview questions: 

1. Why do you want to visit the UK?
2. What is the duration of your stay in the UK?
3. Why did you choose the UK for your higher studies?
4. Have you visited the UK before?
5. Why did you select this college/university? OR Why do you wish to work in the UK after your studies? 
6. Who is going to cover your expenses in the UK?
7. What have you studied in India?
8. What do your parents do?
9. Are you travelling alone or with someone you know?
10. Do you have any relatives/friends in the UK?
11. Where will you be staying in the UK?
12. Since when did you plan to work in the UK?

UK Student Visa Rejection Reasons

What is the Cost of Post Study Work Visa UK?

The cost of UK Post Study Visa is £715 for the application fee and £624 healthcare surcharge per year.

Things Possible or Not Possible After a UK Post-Study Work Visa?

Things you can do on a Graduate Visa:

• Search for work
• Work in almost all jobs
  Self-employment
• Voluntary work
  Stay in the country with your children or partner considering they are eligible

Things you cannot do with a Graduate Visa

• Cannot send an application for government benefits like State Pension
• Cannot become a professional sportsperson

What Next After the Visa Expires?

As we all know according to the new laws and policies, international students having a UK work permit or Post-Study Visa allows them to stay in the UK to stay and search for work related to their field of study. During this period, they are allowed to do any work that is not related to their field of study. 

Once the UK work permit expires after 2 years, students or candidates who are ready and want to stay longer in the UK have to apply for a skilled work Visa or a general work visa. i.e. the Tier 2 Visa. In order to get a Tier 2 Visa, the candidate must be able to earn at least £30,000 per year. The salary may be more or less depending upon different job profiles. 

FAQs

Thus, we hope that this blog has helped you understand the key essentials of applying for a UK Post-Study Work Visa. If you are planning to study in the UK, then you must know that January intakes are near. Additionally, Reach out to our Study Abroad experts and we’ll help you choose a suitable course and university that aligns with your interests and aspirations as well as throughout the process of getting admission in the UK for the coming January intake application deadlines.

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